


Strawberries

by shineebigbang



Category: SHINee
Genre: Angst, Slice of Life, Suspense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-01
Updated: 2017-09-01
Packaged: 2018-12-22 08:05:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11963208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shineebigbang/pseuds/shineebigbang





	Strawberries

When Minho was five and Jinki was two, they were inseparable. Their parents watched in adoration as Minho braided Jinki's ever descending, long mahogany hair. Having learned from his mother, he thought Jinki deserved to look beautiful.

When Minho was ten and Jinki was seven, they were taken to their first musical. Dressed in detailed oxford blue tuxes, the boys walked towards their seats with fingers linked together. Their parents believed the children should be interested in the arts, something those of higher class must have a taste for. It was then, as Jinki stared in awe at the changing pastel colors twinkling in his auburn eyes, that he discovered what had been missing from his life.

When Minho was sixteen and Jinki was thirteen, the boys discovered that strawberries taste like a kiss. A secret between the two, often shared in the comfort of Minho's lavish BMW. It had been a gift from his father, having always been the boys favorite to ride. The keys were thrown to him with a wink. It was that day that the eldest took Jinki to his favorite garden, kissing him behind a butterfly house until his lips were a dusty rose and the moon replaced the once blazing sun.

When Minho was seventeen and Jinki was fourteen, they discovered their happiness wasn't eternal like their kisses behind the butterfly house. Jinki's parents had a beautiful funeral. Minho's parents promised to take Jinki in, but his extended family had other plans. Jinki left Minho on a cold morning in November. With a kiss to the eldest boys cheek, he was gone.

-

Sighing as he glanced at his clock, Jinki shoved his face back into his vanilla scented pillow. The time read 10:01. He was late for class, again. It's not like he was a terrible student. His scores on all his exams were perfect, all projects were finished weeks before they were due, and he even assisted with tutoring his fellow classmates whenever they asked. The boy just couldn't remember to turn his damn alarm clock on before drifting off to sleep is all. Rubbing sleep from his eyes, the brunette slipped out of bed and towards his bathroom. Underneath his hazel eyes lay dark, blue circles, exposing his inability to get a proper night sleep. Exhaustion always made the boy feel nostalgic. Jinki just couldn't shake the desperation to return to the life he once led. He was much happier back then, and who wouldn't be? Being born with a silver spoon melted in his mouth was anything but miserable. Now, he was just another college student trying to make ends meet with a job that paid too little and a college degree for a job he didn't want.

He was no longer the boy who grew up in a lavish home that was far too big for his family of three. No, he was just Jinki. A boy who lost his family inheritance due to 'unexpected circumstances,' his uncle told him. It only seemed logical to his extended family for Jinki to leave for Seoul. Something along the lines of "starting anew," or some bullshit excuse for Jinki to be out of his relatives hair. Being forced to refuse help from the Choi family, per his uncles advice, he was shipped off to a city he knew nothing of.

Life in Seoul wasn't what he had expected. It seemed a lot more glamorous in the movies he watched late at night, tucked in the arms of Minho, rather than what it actually was. Everything was a lot more expensive than he imagined. He had run out of money long ago. Being low on income meant lower quality housing. Having a cheaper apartment meant living closer to red districts, where the girls dressed in too little and the men dressed in too much. Silver could often be spotted peeking from behind their cheap suit jackets made of scratchy material. Jinki remembers coming home late from the café one summer night, having offered to close up shop in place of Jonghyun, who seemed far too stressed for the often carefree man. Along his usual route home, a drunken man took it upon himself to fight Jinki, showing his prostitute what a 'real man' was. Not that Jink thinks she even cared. The night ended with the male running to his apartment with a bloody nose and bruised eye. Jonghyun apologized with a busted lip and bruised eye two days later. When Jinki asked of the boys similar wounds, he only laughed.

It seemed misery followed him wherever he went. Because it was on Jinki's nineteenth birthday when he received word of Mr. And Mrs. Choi deaths. A fire had broken out in their home late at night. The couple died in their bedroom before anyone could attempt to extinguish the massive flames that engulfed everything that came within its ruthless path. There were no traces of Minho's body, nor any word of the man's whereabouts. It was speculated that the boy was behind the flames that took his own parents lives, but it was only whispers.

The Choi's funerals were just as beautiful as his parents. Jinki looked for Minho until the horizon was painted in crimson. He thinks maybe, just maybe, he saw a flicker of midnight black hair, but he blames his imagination for missing strawberries.

Now, in front of a mirror with cracks littering the once smooth surface, stood Jinki. Twenty-one with a few months of university left and a future job he loathed. Getting a degree in accounting was the safest option for a secure future. If Jinki was honest with himself, he would have dropped out and switched his major to musical theatre. But, theatre didn't pay the bills and he was no longer a child chasing after impossible dreams.

Tying up half of his lengthy brunette hair, he chucked on his usual attire of clothing and was out the door.

-

"I think I'll have uh," the man in front of Jinki drifted off again, staring at the extensive coffee menu written in chalk above his head. He didn't mind the man's indecisive mind. It was only three in the afternoon, the only people in the shop were either college students or business workers looking for a quick caffeine fix. The shop was never quite as busy as Junmyeon had wished, but the proud owner loved his café too much to mind. It paid the bills just fine, he had told Jinki.

"I'll have the caramel macchiato to-go, please," the man nodded his head in satisfaction and handed Jinki his card. "You know," the man eyed his nametag," Jinki, I'm not really from around here. I would really like it if a beauty like yourself could, I don't know, show me what's fun to do around here."

Jinki wasn't ugly, pretty handsome from what people tell him. But, frequently more men would say the same thing to Jinki. Almost as if they're reading a script to lure the man into a trap. Because honestly, it had only become a thing rather recently. It's not like he was dressing any different. His hair was the same length, just above his shoulders, and always tied up into a half ponytail. But more times than not, it wouldn't fail for someone to ask Jinki the same thing, 'what's fun to do around here,' or 'how about spending a day with me.' He was sure the admirers had no ill will, but something just didn't sit quite right with him.

If Jinki were to think hard enough, the last time he had fun was when Jonghyun forced him into visiting a Noraebang for some late night drinks a few months ago. Honestly, he couldn’t really afford the luxury of having fun. And the odd times he could, it was Jonghyun who would pay. There was nothing between the two men, to the disappointment of Junmyeon, but he was who Jinki considered his best friend. The only person who could get Jinki to laugh until his stomach ached, until his eyes crinkled and he was on the floor. Because that's the kind of friend Jonghyun was to Jinki, a breath of fresh air in his life of constant turmoil. He didn't like to admit his short comings or his money insecurity, but he knows, somehow, Jonghyun knew. He swears it was Jonghyun who would slip money in his mailbox, but he was always too afraid to ask the male.

Smiling at the man, Jinki returned the card and receipt saying, "I'm sorry sir, but I don't think I could be of any assistance." The man winked, handing him his number anyways. Kyu was written in sloppy handwriting along with a number sprawled out on a wrinkled post-it note with what looked like purple ink smudged at the notes bottom. Jinki smiled apologetically and shoved the note inside his apron to throw away later.

"What is that, like the seventeenth number this week," exclaimed Jonghyun, coming up behind the man. "It's Thursday! Where are my secret admirers Jinki? I'm not ugly!"

"And you're not single either," he replied, snickering behind his fingers.

"Yeah, well, they don't know that! I mean, come on, the last time someone hit on me was that sixty year old priest! And I honestly doubt he's even supposed to be dating Jinki! Aren't they like, married to God or something."

Jonghyun sighed, beginning to work on the man's order. "Like come on, don't they see they could have all of this," he ran his finger up and down his body. "Like damn, I would hit on me."

"Yeah, well, I don't think Kibum would appreciate someone hitting on you man. He can be pretty possessive sometimes."

"Kibum should appreciate that he's with such a hot piece of ass! If I had half as many people hitting on me as you did, Bum would learn to appreciate what he has is good." He sighed dramatically, flipping his pink hair from his eyes. "it would just means he's that much luckier to have me."

"Or more like you should be lucky to have Kibum, I'm pretty sure the only thing you know how to make is eggs and ramen. Which really isn't hard to make." Jonghyun grumbled and placed the finished drink at the end of the coffee bar, "And besides, I'm not really interested in dating right now."

Jonghyun laughed, "yeah, sometimes it's best not to date, you know. You need to have time for yourself."

Jinki hummed in agreement. He barely did have time for himself, he couldn't possible imagine juggling work, school, and a lover all at the same time. Though, sometimes he wished someone would be there when he returned home. Smiling, excited for the man to be back. He wasn't particularly lonely. Well, he wouldn't admit to it anyways. Because when the nights were cold, and his shitty AC was no longer producing heat, it wouldn't hurt to have someone to hold when his blankets could no longer keep him warm.

-

9:06. Jinki was definitely making it to class on time. Recently, it hadn't been so bad. One of his professors had gone on maternity leave, causing another class to merge with his. That's where Jinki met Joon, another senior that was majoring in cyber engineering. Before, Jinki had never seen the other around campus. Which was surprising, considering the black haired male was incredibly attractive and very notice worthy. Though, not too surprising, because the male never took it upon himself to try and make any new friends in the first place. Jinki first met the male when he sat right next to him in the new lecture room they had been instructed to report to on Blackboard. Both classes had quite a few number of students, causing the relocation of the class to be on a much larger scale. Jinki would definitely have to thank his professor for getting knocked up.

"Hey Jinki, how was work yesterday?" Joon had put his arm around the brunette, sitting down in the seat next to him. A cherry color graced Jinki's face as Joon pushed his chair closer to him, causing their knees to knock against each other. He was always like this, not knowing Jinki's personal space. Not that he cared, it was nice, but it always caused his face to flush and his fingers to break out in a sweat. It had been a long time since he had any physical contact with someone he had found attractive. His body reacted on its own much to his embarrassment. To his luck, Joon didn't say anything, or was nice enough not to comment on it.

"It was alright, Jonghyun walked me home because it was pretty late. Although, I'm dreading finals week because that's when we get really swamped at the cafe. But, it makes Junmyeon happy, so that's all that matters." Because it was true, seeing Junmyeon smiling proudly with the café full always made a hectic day worth it in Jinki's book.

Joon sighed, sweeping Jinki's long bangs away from his face, "you're so nice Jinki, it's like you aren't even real," he whispered. Resting his elbow on the table, Joon moved his face closer to Jinki's until they were only a few inches apart. The long haired brunette could feel his face begin to heat up. Trying to turn his head, Joon placed his left hand against the other males cheek, raising his face back to eye level.

"You're so beautiful, why do you hide your face behind such long hair?"

Inching back, Joon removed his hand from the others cheek, staring at him intensely. Twirling his hair between his fingers, Jinki looked away mumbling, "Someone I used to know loved when my hair was long, I kind of just kept it since then."

"Someone you used to know? Maybe it's time for a change, sweetheart."

Ignoring the pet name, Jinki looked down at the desk, continuing to play with his hair. He had always loved his hair long. He never even thought of cutting it expect for a trim. Was it ugly being so long? Kibum had always complimented on his ability to maintain such nice hair and Jonghyun never once told him it had looked weird. But, there were Jinki's friends, would they lie to him? No, they would have told him if it had looked off, they knew Jinki long enough for them to feel comfortable saying something like that, right?

"Jinki?"

Looking up, Joon was looking at him, waving his hands in front of his face.

"I was only joking Jinki." Joon laughed, "It looks lovely, don't think too hard about it." Reaching towards Jinki, the other male took a strand of hair and began to play with it," You know," Joon moved closer, resting his lips upon Jinki's ear," I always liked having something to grab onto." Releasing the strand, Joon winked, sitting back in his chair as the professor walked into class.

If Jinki's face wasn't red enough before, it definitely was now.

-

"Bye, Jonghyun!" Jinki called, walking out of the café with his fingers shoved into his auburn jacket. The coat was far too big for being only November. Not that he minded. He always loved the smell that Autumn brought along. The crisp cold air, the crunching of dead leaves beneath his feet, the smell of pine, fairy lights perched upon store windows, and being able to order hot drinks without Jonghyun making fun of him. It's not his fault he didn't like iced drinks in summer like everyone else. Drinking something warm was always calming, even if the weather outside was scolding.

However, to Jinki's surprise, Joon was waiting for him. His back resting upon the scarlet brick wall of the old record store next door. The male was staring at Jinki, with a bright smile gracing his chapped lips. He began waving towards the male enthusiastically, lifting himself from the brick and began shortening the distance between the two.

"What are you doing here," Jinki asked, his cheeks becoming a peachy color. If Joon asked, he would definitely say it was from the cold wind brushing his skin and not because he was happy to see the other.

"I came to see you. "

Jinki's heart fluttered like butterflies on a spring day.

Playing with the lint in his jacket pocket, the male stared at the ground. Avoiding eye contact from the other, he became afraid the other could see his cheeks were now a deep shade of rose. It was like that whenever Joon popped up. He's not sure how, but Joon had been showing up more often in places Jinki had never seen him before. At the supermarket last week, his route home from university, even at the convenient store five minutes away from his apartment. And now, here, at the perfect time as he was finishing work.

"I wanted to know if I could walk you home," Joon whispered in the brunettes ear. Intertwining their arms together, allowing the two to walk side by side comfortably. Jinki nodded and began leading the way.

"You know Jinki, I never see a single soul occupying your lovely company. Are you seeing anyone as of right now?"

Joon was so close the brunette could see tiny wisps of vapor emerge from the others lips as he spoke. His breath smelled of cinnamon.

Shaking his head, Jinki replied," Not right now. I'm content with my life at the moment I don't think I have time right now to be in a relationship. Probably wouldn't be fair to the other person."

They continued on for quite a while, enjoying each other's company. The sound of cars driving past and nightlife became quieter as the pair exited the cities loud atmosphere and entered the neighborhood Jinki called his home. It wasn't until the two began walking over a bridge overlooking a lake did Joon break the silence.

"Have you ever been in a relationship?"

That was a tough question. Because, technically, he wasn't sure what to call what he had shared with Minho all those years ago. There wasn't any stories of one night stand, more like shy kisses with a man he had met his first year of university, but he had transferred before Jinki anything could become official. Other than that, he had never dated. No one had really caught his eye. Being busy with work and school didn't help either.

Jinki pondered how to answer the question for a bit. The two men continued to walk in silence until he finally replied, "Yes and no."

"Yes and no?"

"Yes and no. I had something with someone once, but I haven't seen him in years."

It was silence once again. They had crossed the bridge long ago, now unable to hear the water splash against cement in the background. They couldn't be more than a minute away from Jinki's front door. No other words were spoken until the two arrived in front of the ash colored building. It was a bit worn down with the paint chipping away at the edges. Jinki wouldn't doubt the color had been there since the building was first built.

Staring at each other, the brunette wasn't sure if he should ask the man to come inside or bid him goodbye. He hadn't realized he was lost in thought until the words left Joon's chapped lips.

"Did you love him?"

The question flustered Jinki, causing the male to look down at the cemented floor. There was a crack underneath his foot he had never noticed before.

"Do you still love him?"

Silence enveloped the two once again. It wasn't until a stray cat began to paw at Jinki's black jeans, rubbing against his legs for attention. It was only then did the other break away from their intertwined arms.

Before Jinki could react, the man kissed him upon his cheek whispering, "Goodnight." He began walking away quickly looking back to smile at the man. Joon waved as he went in the opposite direction in which the two men came. Pressing his hand against his cheek, Jinki sighed. He felt nothing.

Joon missed the wind carrying away Jinki's whispered reply.

-

"No, I'm sick and tired of this skidding around the edges bullshit!" A tall, lanky male hollered in the usual quiet atmosphere. The men had been eyeing Jinki since they had entered the café, but the brunette had chosen to ignore the men's stares. He had assumed they were just concise they were being too loud. He was dressed in a sleek Armani dusty grey suit, talking to the man named Kyu who had ordered a few weeks ago. His attire was impressive for this end of town, littered with mostly broke university students. "He's not taking the bait and I'm done! It’s been fucking weeks. If he doesn't want to take action, I will. He always was a little bitch when it came down to it."

The commotion caused Jinki to sigh, because really, he was five minutes away from clocking out. The two males were the only two left in the café, the afternoon rushed ended half an hour ago. It was a hectic day, he just wanted to get home without having to break up some fight. Kibum had bought him some bath bombs and he had just been dying to try one out. The café had been busy more than usual, it seemed every college kid decided to stop by for some sort of caffeine to help wake their sleep-deprived brains. It was finals weeks after all. Jinki remembers one male, must have been a freshman, looked so exhausted, he swore he must have fallen asleep at least twice as he was taking his order.

The tall man walked towards the counter with quick strides and grabbed Jinki by his ponytail. Before he could react to the sudden advancement, the male raised his arm, fingers laced through Jinki's long hair, and slammed his face straight into the marble countertop with enough force to cause the brunette to scream out in pain. A sharp gasp escaped the brunettes lips as the man's grip tightened around his hold. It felt as though the attacker were trying to rip his scalp from his skull.

Tears began stinging Jinki's eyes as the male continued to twist his hair around his fingers. He could fell the man's fingernails digging into his scalp drawing blood.

Trying to resist, Jinki tried pushing his body away from the countertop only to have the attacker press his face further into the hard surface. The man lowered his face until his lips were pressed upon Jinki's ear. He flinched as hot breathe wafted against his neck. The man began whispering only loud enough for Jinki to hear, his voice laced with venom he spit out," Listen Jinki, I've had enough of the games. Where the hell is he."

Jinki's vision was beginning to blur, tears blocking his line of sight. What did the man want again? He couldn't focus on anything anymore. He felt as though he were floating, hopefully he didn't have a concussion.

The brunette reached to remove himself from his attacker, trying to back away from the others grip only to be slammed back into the counter. He regrets refusing those boxing classes Jonghyun told him about.

"Enough!" The man screamed, "Where the fuck is Minho!"

Minho? Where was Minho. He wished he knew the answer.

He wasn't sure what happened after that, but he thinks he can remember a gunshot ringing in his ears, screaming from Jonghyun, and a sharp pain in his right shoulder. The fingers laced in his hair went slack. Then, nothing.

-

"I told you to fucking watch him! It was a stupid decision on me to think I could trust you!"

Someone was screaming. There was a thud and the muffled voice could be heard again.

The voice began screaming again, "Was it really that fucking difficult Jonghyun! It was the simplest task I put you on and you fucked it up! Why the fuck should I keep you around? Why should I even trust you?" The man's voice sounded strained, almost as if the screaming was stinging his throat or he had been crying previously.

"It was unexpected, I thought I had everything under control, sir."

That voice is definitely Jonghyun, it caused a smile to grace Jinki's cracked lips. And just as soon as the voices began, they became hushed and slowly faded away.

Where was he anyways. His eyes ached, skull pounded, and his right shoulder felt as if someone had hit it with a baseball bat. It was even difficult to adjust to the lighting of the dim room, his eyes squinted adjusting to the illumination. How long was Jinki asleep for? Attempting to sit up, the male groaned, letting out a small gasp at the presentation of the room. It was enormous, far larger than his entire one bedroom apartment. The walls were painted a soft teal color that complimented chiffon drapes gracing two large windows. A wooden armoire matched the design of the king sized bed Jinki lay in. The armoire stood proudly next to what Jinki assumed to be a bathroom or closet door. However, that was all that occupied the room. Other than a nightstand with a glass of water to his left, the room was bare of anything else.

It must not be a room used regularly he thought to himself seeing dust underneath the water glass. Wanting to get up, Jinki groaned as a sharp pain shot through his right shoulder. Carefully, he raised his arm to feel cotton bandages engulfing his entire upper arm. Wanting to inspect the appendages further, Jinki removed the ivory cotton shirt that was far too big for his smaller frame. It couldn't have been his, but questioning exactly what had happened to his other clothing would have to wait. Because honestly, everything was pretty strange.

"Ahem." He doesn’t remember hearing the door open.

The brunette looked up to see Jonghyun, standing like a well-groomed solider, odd for his usually playful demeanor. He looked far too serious, like when he first met the man. Now, his face was bruised and a gash at least an inch long went through his upper lip. Dressed in what looked to be a form-fitted suit, Jinki could only think of how he couldn't remember ever seeing the other male wearing something of such attire before.

"What happened to your face?"

Jonghyun stood tall, refusing to meet Jinki's eyes. His chest was puffed up and he held his hands behind his back, almost as if he were awaiting instructions.

"This will be your new residence for now Lee Jinki. I, or another will bring your meals three times a day. If you wish to wash or relieve yourself, the bathroom is yours. Please refrain from attempting to leave this occupation. If there is something you need, you may ask, as long as it's within limits. Please refrain from asking any unnecessary-"

"Jonghyun."

"-questions. I will return in exactly an hour-"

"Jonghyun stop!" Jinki screamed, his breathing beginning to turn uneven. Tears beginning to stain his tanned cheeks. He was scared. He had never seen Jonghyun act this way before. Was he playing with him? Was this a prank?

"-to bring you dinner. Someone will be up to attend to your bandages momentarily. That will be all until further notice."

Throwing a pillowing at the pink haired man, the other simply allowed the cushion to hit his chest. He bowed in a ninety degree angle, and walked out the door stepping over the golden pillow. A click ringing through the quiet room. He had locked the door.

"Jonghyun!" He screeched at the male. "What the fuck is going on! Get back here you asshole!" Tears were now pouring down the males face, hitting his bare chest with intensity. His breathing increased rapidly, bringing his hands to his face, he screamed. "Get back here!" Air, he needed air. It was if his throat was beginning to close. The world seemed to be spinning. Why does he feel nauseous? Was his vision always this blurry? He felt as if he were gasping for breath, a soft please slipped past his lips.

A million questions twirled in his mind like cigarette smoke, bringing further pain to his already pounding headache. What the hell was going on? Was he kidnapped? But, Jonghyun would never do this to him. Jonghyun was there when he cried because he couldn't figure out his thesis. He was there on his birthdays, singing to him with the biggest smile on his face every year. He was there when someone broke into his apartment when he wasn't home. He cried on Jonghyun's shoulders when he reminisced about his first love. He was there when he wanted to die when he couldn’t take life anymore. Jonghyun was there for everything. Where was he now? Jinki clawed at his throat feeling unable to breathe, he didn’t stop until he felt blood seep underneath his fingernails and he could no longer keep his eyes open.

"That’s enough," an unknown voice spoke. Looking up, a male walked towards him. "Mr. Choi would not like to see you harmed any further. To prevent any more damage to your body, I will allow you to rest."

A needle pierced Jinki's shoulder, the last face he saw before falling asleep was the male hovering over him. A grimace upon his lips.

-

Long fingers could be felt combing through Jinki's hair. They were calloused and rough, but brought a nostalgic comfort to the brunette. It felt as if he were in a dream. The actions reminded him of when his mother would read him stories to bed, she would often run her manicured fingers through his long hair as she spoke.

Still buzzing from whatever was injected in the man earlier, opening his eyes felt next to near impossible. Jinki felt vulnerable as the person continued to run his fingers through his hair. Although it was comforting, he felt uneasy about an unknown person touching him while unconscious.

It went on for no more than a minute longer until Jinki was unable to remain awake. He slipped into unconsciousness once again. The person still touching his hair.

-

Jinki didn't wake until lunch was served the next day, being awoken by the sound of the wooden door closing too loudly. The only trace of someone's past presence was a silver platter with wooden bowls on the armoire. It smelt strongly like soybean paste soup and kimchi. He could see the wisps of steam emitting from one of the larger bowls.

Sitting up, the man's body felt sluggish. Lifting his body up by his arms, Jinki realized he desperately needed a shower. His underarms beginning to omit an faint scent of unpleasant body odor. It felt as though a layer of film was coating his skin. He was not fond of going more than a day lacking a shower and without a single way of indicating the time or date, he couldn't confirm how long it had been since the last time he had one.

Climbing out of bed was a difficult task in itself, it must have been a while since the last time he stood up. Luckily, there was no longer a pounding in his head, but the man still felt a bit dazed from the excessive about of sleep.

Although, the male was still groggy, he willed himself out of bed and towards the door he assumed was the bathroom. Jinki hoped after the shower he would be able to figure out exactly where he was and how to leave.

The door opened to an immense bathroom with a massive clawfoot tub in the center. Next to the bath lay a wool basket filled to the brim with what looked like bath bombs and elegant soaps. Though, a bath was not ideal considering the male wanted a deep clean. He figured with an injured arm, it would be easier to keep his shoulder above water because he hadn't seen what was hiding underneath the cotton appendages.

Turning on the copper faucet to the tub, Jinki played with the water until the temperature felt comfortable to the touch. Reaching in the tub, the male closed the drain to begin filling the tub after five minutes of messing with the different settings. After, Jinki began walking towards the woolen basket to sort through what he wanted to use in his bath. If he was going to take a bath, might as well go all out. It had been far too long since the last time he had actually relaxed. Not that he considered being abducted a time to relax, however, if his abductees wanted to provide him with quality products, who was he to deny?

There was a variety of colors that filled the basket, the male squatted down to have a better look at the assortment. There were far more bath bombs than he imagined and he ultimately decided on one that was heart shaped with dried flowers peeking through the white surface. The scent had aromas of jasmine and rose, his two favorites. He threw the bath bomb in the tub and began sifting through the basket further as the bath continued to fill in search of a bar of soap. The one he chose looked like the ocean with scents of lime and lavender, an odd combination but anything would work to get rid of the awful smell his armpits were omitting.

Slipping off the pair of orange pajama bottoms, that did not belong to him, and onyx colored boxers, Jinki slid into the tub. It wasn't completely full, but he couldn't bring himself to wait any longer. The warm water felt blissful on his skin. Leaning his head back, no longer caring not to get his bandages wet, Jinki slipped further in the water until his head was submerged. His knees stuck out of the water due to his height, but he remained underwater until his lunged burned forcing himself to remerge from beneath the water's surface. Sliding straight up, Jinki gasped for air holding onto the sides of the tub, trying to catch his breath.

Combing his fingers through his hair, the male reached over the tubs side to grab the soap to begin cleaning his body. At this point there was only one thought running through his head. He needed to get out of here. If he thought about it, he had no idea why exactly he was here. Had the man who attacked him at the café taken him to a remote location? Jonghyun was obviously involved, but he wasn't sure how. Had Jonghyun gained his trust only for this one ultimate plan? The reason wasn't clear in Jinki's eyes, but he knows it can't be any good if they're trying to keep him healthy. The pink haired man said he would bring him three meals a day. Most people who are intending to do harm don't exactly patch up wounds either. Maybe he was going to be used for some horrible science experiment and become some sort of hybrid. Probably not, but anything was up in the air at this point.

Rinsing off the bubbles from his skin, Jinki lathered up the soap to clean his mop of hair. It would do for a substitute shampoo. After intensely scrubbing his scalp, he leaned his head forward, removing the lather from his hair. He wished to stay in the water longer, but being naked in an unknown location made him that much more vulnerable than he wished to be.

Standing up in the tub, Jinki carefully walked towards the white cabinet in hopes of finding a towel. To his luck, the cabinet was stocked with towels, toothpaste, conditioners, and a toothbrush. The people who abducted him really were making his stay far too welcoming for his liking.

Wrapping a maroon towel around his waist, the male grabbed the toothpaste and toothbrush to remove the awful taste in his mouth. If he moved his tongue around his mouth, he could feel the plaque beginning to coat his teeth.

After feeling satisfied with the state of his mouth, he began to remove the wet cotton from his right shoulder. It was beginning to drip cold water on his back making him uncomfortable. Stripping away piece by piece of the bandage, he discovered a clear plastic film protecting a pink hole no bigger than a five hundred won coin. There already seemed to be scar tissue over a majority of the wound, meaning whoever was taking care of it was doing a damn good job.

A soft knock interrupted him before he could further inspect the mysterious wound.

Jonghyun's voice could be heard through the wooden door.

"Lee Jinki, I have come to take you to the dining hall."

-

Currently, Jinki's upper half was engulfed in a navy sweater that reached just above his knees paired with a fitting pair of black jeans. Jonghyun had laid the outfit on the bed for the man to wear. The outfit was obviously more expensive than Jinki could afford, causing him to further question his current whereabouts.

Walking through the halls he quickly realized the building looked oddly familiar. From the paintings to the tables at the end of long hallways with flower vases perched upon their surfaces. From what he could gather, the building was not some warehouse like he had imagined. Though, the fact he was in a house could make his escape that much easier.

"Hey Jonghyun, where are we?"

Ignoring the brunette, Jonghyun turned the corner and began the descent down a spiral staircase.

"Jonghyun why won’t you talk to me?"

Jinki continued to ask Jonghyun meaningless questions he knew the pink haired man would ignore. He kind of missed talking to someone. Although he had been asleep the majority of his stay, he was not anti-social like many assumed. He often enjoyed the company of others which is why he chose the job at the café. It allowed him to interact with all sorts of interesting individuals. However, thinking about the café, he hopes Junmyeon was doing fine without him there. It kind of made Jinki wonder how the elder male was handling two of his employees sudden disappearance.

Not realizing they were already in the dining room, he bumped into Jonghyun's broad back. A smile played on Jinki's lips waiting for Jonghyun to tease him like he usually did, only to be met with Lee Minho. The man was sitting at the far end of a grand marble table, his hands folded neatly on his lap.

"Minho?'

Jinki couldn't believe it. If you had asked him where he thought Minho was any other day, he would have said the older male was dead. There wasn't a single trace of the male after the fire in the his parents' home, everyone had assumed the elder had perished in the flames as well. He had desperately wished it wasn't true, hoping one day the other would pop up out of nowhere and the two could pick up where they left off. But to see him, sitting at the end of the table, looking just as beautiful as the day he left him, Jinki was star struck.

"How? How is this possible? I thought you were dead." Jinki trailed off, his voice just above a whisper. "Am I dreaming?" He began to walk towards the male with cautious steps, afraid if he was too eager everything would vanish before him. He really hoped this wasn't all just some stupid dream.

Minho stood up as Jinki edged closer, a smile gracing his deep crimson plump lips. He always loved when Minho smiled, his eyes would crinkle at the edges and his cheeks would puff up. He hadn't realized how much he missed the other.

Closing the distance between the two, Minho engulfed Jinki in his arms. The younger could feel the elders heartbeat against his chest. They stayed like for a while, enjoying the embrace of the other. He hadn't realized he was crying until Minho pulled back, wiping away Jinki's tears with his thumb.

The elder brought Jinki back into his chest whispering, "Don't cry love. Everything is going to be alright now." Minho slid his hand into Jinki's hair, crevassing the youngers head in an attempt to calm the other down.

Sniffling, Jinki pressed his face harder into the elders chest, grabbing onto the others shirt until his knuckles were white.

"You couldn't even imagine how much I missed you Minho." Jinki began, speaking into the others chest, "When I left, I wanted nothing more than to come back. Come back to you, but my uncle said I was too attached. You were going to take over your families business and I didn't want to be in the way. I..." Jinki continued rambling until the elder pulled back, bringing his head down to eye level. He looked Jinki in the eyes whispering, "It's alright my love. No more tears, let's get you something to eat, Jonghyun tells me you haven't eaten in days. You must be starved."

The elder guided Jinki into the chair next to his, kissing his head then proceeding to sit down next to him.

Wiping away excess tears with his sweater sleeve, Jinki finally took a better look at the dining room. It was grand, reminding him of the one he grew up with as a child. There were two silver chandeliers hanging at both ends of the room along with a larger one in the middle. They were sparkling with crystals Jinki thought resembled fire opals, Minho's parents always had expensive taste. Jinki doesn't doubt the elder had inherited the taste for the finer things as well.

When Jinki turned his gaze to look straight ahead his view would be graced with four enormous windows that stretched from the polished wooden floors to the high ceilings. Outside the windows, behind the beige curtains, was a garden. Vines could be seen sprawling across the glass as well as pink, red, and white rose bushes covering a majority of the windows glass. Jinki could see the crescent moon in the far left window, illuminating the garden in a soft, blue glow. It was beautiful.

His thoughts were interrupted when he finally looked back at Minho to find the other starring at him, a dreamy look in his coffee-colored eyes. A rose color flared on Jinki's usually tan cheeks as he looked away, the younger man began to fiddle with his fingers to avoid the others eyes. He felt like a child again, sharing secret moments with Minho. Back then, their time together was often rushed to avoid any confrontation or suspicion from either of their parents. Though, Jinki's mother had found them once, she had been worried due to not having seen the boys after dinner. They had snuck away to the greenhouse behind Jinki's house to share a few moments together looking at shooting stars. His mother caught them mid-kiss. Jinki's heart had felt as though it was going to beat right out of his chest, but he remembers Minho squeezing his hand as a form of comfort. Surprisingly, his mother said nothing about what she had seen. But, Jinki swears whenever he would ask to visit Minho after the incident, her eyes always sparkled with a knowing gleam.

Minho cleared his throat before speaking causing Jinki to look back at the other, "I requested ox bone soup be prepared for this evenings meal. Something to help you regain your strength. You took quite a beating if Jonghyun told me right..." Minho trailed off, looking at the pink haired man standing at the far corner of the room close to the door the two had entered through together. He bowed after hearing his name, exiting the room.

Looking away, Minho began again, "I apologize you obtained any injuries in the unfortunate quarrel. Though, you won't have to worry about those men ever again, Jonghyun and a few other of my men took care of them for us." He finished speaking with a smile of adoration aimed at Jinki.

"Taken care of? What do you mean..." Jinki looked towards the door the other had just exited from. "Why am I here Minho? Where are we exactly? What did those men want?" Jinki being confused about the entire sitatuion was an understatement.

"Ah, I apologize for not explaining what happened." Minho sat up straighter, leaning towards Jinki as the two wooden bowls were placed in front of the two by a short man with bright orange hair. He bowed before leaving the way he came. Jinki looked back at Minho as he began to speak, "Those men and I aren't exactly on good terms. You see Jinki, ever since you left, I've had someone protecting you. You were always precious to me. I understood that you needed to live your life and grow up without me. However, I wanted to make sure you were safe when you were doing it. I didn't want to interfere with your life by giving you money, as much as I wanted to. I wanted you to live a life you were proud of. So, I had Jonghyun watch over you. Now, before you become angry with him please understand Jonghyun cares for you deeply. He blames himself for what happened to your arm, no matter how many times I've told him it wasn't his fault no one would have guessed the attacker had a gun. The man got Jonghyun pretty good in the face too, Kibum wasn’t too happy with me about that one. But those men, they were after you because of me."

Because of Minho? But his family ran a paper business. Why would anyone want to bring harm to the heir of a paper making corporation?

Sensing the confusion, the elder continued," I need to be honest with you Jinki, my parents weren't who they said they were. You see, my parents are behind the Phantoms. They ran the entire gang orginzation."

Jinki searched Minho's face, waiting for the other to tell him this was all some kind of joke. For his eyes to crinkle and a laugh to escape his strawberry colored, plump lips. Though, any reassurance of Minho joking with him left when the others expression remained wary.

Then a thought occurred to Jinki. What if he was being lied to? What if Minho was no longer the man he thought he was? What if he was behind the attack? Behind him getting shot, a way to make the younger man stay. Swirling around the milky broth with his soup Jinki whispered, "Why am I here Minho."

A sigh left the elders lips as he spoke, "You don't trust me." The atmosphere suddenly felt tense for Jinki, he hoped he had not upset the other man for his suspicion.

"It is alright," Minho began," I will regain your trust. I would ask you to trust me, but that isn't quite fitting for the situation," a small laugh escaped the others lips as he looked at Jinki. "Let's make a deal Jinki. You stay here in my estate until the doctor deems you are well enough to return home. If you trust me after that, you stay here, with me." Another smile graced the elder man's lips. The thought appealing to the man. "If you wish to leave, I will ask Jonghyun to assist you back to your apartment and I will no longer bother you again."

The dining room went quiet after that, Jinki too afraid to speak. Everything was a lot to take it. He hadn't seen Minho in years and all of a sudden he's back? Yes, he did miss the man. That was quite obvious with his reaction to seeing the other moments again. However, learning that Minho was always watching over Jinki made the man felt uneasy. Why couldn't the man just tell him he was alive after the funeral? Why did he wait so long. It caused Jinki's heart to ache. He's sure the man had his reasons for waiting so long, but it left a lot of questions in his head. Was Minho behind his parents deaths like all those men had said at their funeral?

Minho's sudden voice caused the man to jump, his spoon falling from his fingers onto the table with a soft clack against the marble. "Please eat, I'll answer your questions in the morning Jinki," Minho stated, picking up watercress namul with his chopsticks, placing the food in his mouth.

He didn't look at Jinki as he spoke, instead choosing to look down at his food. A smile no longer upon the elders lips, Jinki could tell straight away his uneasiness caused the other to be distressed. Even if his face was blank of any emotion, he could read Minho like a book. They hadn't seen each other in years, but Minho was his. He knew when something was bothering the other.

The two continued to eat in silence, the only noise coming from chopsticks or spoons scraping against the glassware. They sat for a while after having finished their meals, not saying a thing to one another.

It was Jinki who finally broke the silence, "It's not that I don't trust you Minho," he took in a long breath before continuing, "But you have to admit this entire situation is a bit odd. I thought I was kidnapped an hour ago... And to say you have been watching me? I'm just confused Minho. I know you said you would answer my questions in the morning, but I need you to understand why I'm acting the way I am. Please understand."

The elder man sighed again, running his fingers through his pitch-black hair, "I understand. Let's get you to bed. We can have breakfast tomorrow in the garden." Standing up, Minho walked towards Jinki assisting him to stand up, "For now, let's have you rest for the night my love."

-

Having returned from dinner hours ago, Jinki still lay awake in bed. Minho accompanied him back to his room, having kissed him on the cheek goodnight. With the bright lighting from the hallway, Jinki doesn't doubt the elder man saw the blush that dusted his cheeks. The males smile as he left the elder for the night confirming his suspicion.

There was no denying he still had feelings for the man, he was his first love after all. Closing his eyes once again, Jinki finally slept. He dreamt of strawberries that night.

-

"So what would you like to know?"

Minho was currently wearing a black turtleneck underneath a grey coat that reached to the middle of the man's thighs. He wore a pair of snug black pants with detailed brown loafers to tie the outfit together. While Jinki sported another oversize grey sweater with black pants that were similar to the ones he wore for dinner. A pair of black timberlands on his feet.

Jinki thought they looked ridiculous, the elder man had always been out of his league. Minho sat like the heir of a corporation while Jinki was no more than a plain college student. They were no longer the two boys who grew up together, the realization hitting Jinki as he looked at the other male. His aurora emitting superiority. The younger man fidgeted in his seat under the others stare.

"Every...," Jinki's voiced cracked causing him to clear his throat. He tried again finally looking Minho in the eyes. "Everything."

Smiling, Minho took a sip of the tea that had been set up before the two men had arrived. The garden looked like a scene from Alice in Wonderland. The flowers still bloomed beautifully even with the weather being cold. The ground was covered in a thin sheet of snow causing Jinki to shiver every now and again, the sweater being barely thick enough to warm the younger man. When he had walked towards the white cast iron table, the crunching of leaves and broken branches had settled some of Jinki's nerves. Winter was always his favorite season.

The cast iron table had been set up with numerous items to choose from. It seemed more like a tea party than breakfast, but Jinki's sweet tooth wasn't complaining. Petit fours, yugwa, injeolmi toast, hodu-gwaja, and various other desserts were scattered on beautiful pastel tiered cake stands. Just the smell of red bean paste was enough to have Jinki's mouth-watering. There were three teapots, small brown papers labelling the teas as earl grey, apricot, and rose. Of course all three being Jinki's favorites. If Minho was trying to impress him, he was doing a damn good job.

Gesturing for the younger man to eat, Minho set down the tea cup, "Please help yourself. I think it's only fair I start from the beginning."

Nodding, Jinki starting nibbling on the injeolmi toast. Minho chuckled, an amused grin on his lips as he watched the other man eat.

"I'll began when you left home. Well, forced to leave home. Your uncle was quite a persuasive man, Jinki. My parents told me it wasn't their right to ask you to stay, something about how it was your families choice where you went. They were supposed to take care of you, but they dropped you off like you were trash." Minho's teeth clenched visibly. " I was too young to do anything about it at the time. My parents told me not to get involved, but I needed to Jinki. Because you're you." Minho's eyes met the younger mans, an intense look on his face. "How was I just going to sit back and watch them treat you like that? And right when I was able to finally do anything, my parents were murdered. People thought I had done it!" The man shook his head, leaning back in the chair. Running his fingers through his hair, Minho sighed and looked at Jinki again.

"I didn't have anything to do with my parents deaths. But Jonghyun and I decided it was for the best people didn't know of my whereabouts. So, I hid. Right here in this house taking over where my parents left off. When everything was stable here I decided to send Jonghyun to watch over you. Please don't think his feelings were not genuine, he truly does see you as a loyal friend. He believes you'll hate him now that you know his true intentions were simply to protect you, but he grew to care for you like a brother. He's a good man, I hope you will not harbor any ill feelings towards him."

Taking another sip from the teacup, Minho cleared his throat again before speaking, "You lived in a dangerous neighborhood. So, I had Jonghyun watch you closely. You see, I planned not to bother you until your graduation. But, those men kept pestering you at the café. I had a few of my men check them out and they don't exist in any system. It did surprise us all they attacked you so suddenly though. We didn't know those were their true intentions, we assumed they were after Jonghyun."

"Why did you want to wait until after graduation?" Jinki asked suddenly, the words slipping from his lips before he could stop them.

Avoiding the question, Minho asked, "Jonghyun tells me you changed your major from musical theatre to accounting. Why did you do that, love? It was your dream."

Feeling embarrassed, Jinki scratched his neck. "It's an impossible dream Minho. Accounting isn't so bad you know? Math can be fun!" Jinki spoke enthusiastically.

Unexpectedly, Minho burst into a loud fit of laughter. He looked and sounded like a maniac as he dropped to the floor clutching onto his stomach. A wide smile bloomed on Jinki's lips not having seen the elder man laugh so happily in years.

Between his fit of laughter Minho half shouted playfully, "You fucking hate math Jinki." Jinki paused as he took in the comment, bursting into a fit of laughter as well. He did fucking hate math, it was boring as hell.

The two settled down after a few minutes. Both men finally feeling the awkward atmosphere disappearing.

After Minho returned to his seat, the man gazed at Jinki lovingly. "I've missed you so much Jinki. You wouldn't believe how hard it was to hold back from knocking on your apartment door. I wanted to everyday for years, but it was never the right moment."

It was silent after that. The only sounds that could be heard was the sound of birds chirping in the distance. The teas had run cold long ago, the tiny wisps of steam no longer flowing from the teapots.

It took a few minutes before Jinki finally whispered, "Why did you have to decide that for the both of us Minho. I missed you everyday."Jinki avoided Minho's eyes after that. Though, he could still feel the older man's eyes on his face.

"I admit I was being selfish," Minho said, "but I thought it was best for the both of us."

"Best for the both of us?" Jinki scoffed, "You think I would really think it was best for the both of us to be apart when I love you as much as I fucking do?" Standing up, Jinki began to raise his voice as his emotions became the best of him. "How dare you decide something so selfish by yourself, you jerk!"

Jinki knew he was crying at this point.

"I..." Jinki choked out, his voice cracking as he spoke, "I was stuck living a shit life everyday while you were here the whole time! You didn't even give me any indication that you were even alive! Do you know how hard I tried to move on from you?" Minho stood up from his chair quietly making his way towards the angered younger man. Jinki began hitting the older males chest, tears streaming down his rose colored cheeks, the cold wind beginning to burn his skin.

Jinki finally stopped hitting Minho's chest when the older male engulfed the smaller male in a hug.

"But it sucks because every time I even tried all I could think of was your stupid face," Jinki whispered into the taller man's chest.

Pulling back from Jinki, Minho brought his face down to eye level with the other male. Jinki could feel the others breath against his lips, the other males breathing was labored.

"I'm going to make everything right between us again, Jinki." Minho began, his face a mere inch away from the shorter male. "I promise."

-

Jinki was currently exploring the vast library that resided inside Minho's large estate. There must have been hundreds of books perched upon each bookshelf just waiting to be read. The male had always wanted a library when he was a child but his father thought the boy shouldn't keep his face shoved in books but rather do things boys his age should be doing. Jinki was forced to give up his love of books for hunting lessons, horseback riding, or other things his father chose to busy him with when he wasn't in school or with Minho. The older man had shown him the room after their breakfast a few days ago and that's where he's been. if he wasn't with Minho, eating or asleep, he was reading.

Sadly, over the past few days, Jinki had learned next to nothing about the people inhabiting the residence other than Minho. Though he did meet the chef's whose names were Kyungsoo and Jongin, a duo who knew how to cook food to perfection. He had met them when he had wandered into the kitchen in search of a snack. Other than those two males, he had only seen Jonghyun and Kibum leaving their shared room, but Jinki had only caught a glimpse of the duo before they were off to do whatever Minho had requested of them. Otherwise, the faces he saw around the estate remained nameless.

Other than reading, Jinki did next to nothing. Without the chaos of juggling studying, attending university, and work Jinki's life had been more peaceful than it had in years. The last few weeks had felt like a dream. The only disappointment was Minho had become increasingly busy and couldn't spend as much time with the younger male. He understood that the male had responsibilities and didn't have the spare time to spend with him. Jinki never asked about the male's duties to the gang, afraid he would learn something he would rather not.

"Jinki?" Turning away from the novel the male discovered it was Taemin who had interrupted his thoughts. Taemin was a man younger than Jinki himself. He seemed to be one of Minho's advisors and was often with the older man's in his office until late in the night. Minho had introduced the two when he had shown the brunette around the estate days ago. The man was quiet and never spoke more than he needed to.

"I'm afraid a situation has taken an unfavorable turn and Minho will be unable to attend dinner with you tonight. He apologizes and said he will make it up to you."

Nodding, Jinki smiled at the man as he bowed and disappeared as quickly as he came.

Scratching his neck, Jinki felt it was time to retire, his appetite gone for the night. He wouldn't admit it but he was quite looking forward to telling Minho about the new Harry Potter book he had found in the elder man's collection. He hadn't even known there was a new book out.

Tucking the book under his good arm, the male made his way through the large estate to his room, stopping in the kitchen to tell Kyungsoo he wasn't feeling hungry. The man gave him a disapproving look, but sent the male to his room with a bowl of pumpkin congee despite his protests.

"Please eat even a little bit Jinki it is not healthy to skip meals," Kyungsoo said setting down the pumpkin shaped glassware on the nightstand. He neatly placed a polished spoon on top of an auburn cloth perfectly next to the bowl.

Jinki sighed with a smile on his lips, "I'll try Kyungsoo, please get some rest."

Kyungsoo chuckled, "I'm afraid I won't be getting much sleep tonight," he smiled fondly, "Jongin wants to try out a new biscuit recipe, but thank you for your concern."

The short man waved as he closed the door to Jinki's room, muttering a "sleep well" before shutting the door fully.

Sitting on the bed, the man felt upset. He didn't want to admit it, but not being able to spend more time with Minho was slowly eating away at him. He didn't want to bother Minho, he was a busy man, after all. It was obvious. Minho was being whisked away during their shared time together for business related more often than not.

Sighing, Jinki decided it was best to wash up quickly and settle in bed for the night. Tomorrow the brunette thought it was time he was a bit more selfish and ask Minho to set aside a day for the two men. Ideas on how to convince the older man to do so swirled in the his head until he could no longer keep his eyes open. It didn't take long before the man drifted off into a deep slumber, Minho's face still on his mind.

-

Jinki discovered all his ideas would be put on hold when he awoke to a silver pistol aimed directly at his forehead.

The man's face was covered by a vendetta mask while the rest of his body was covered in black. The masked man raised his right index finger signaling to Jinki to remain quiet. The gun remained steady in his left hand.

"Don't try anything or I'll shoot," the man spoke coldly, gaze lingering on Jinki.

After a minute of the two men looking at each other he began walking towards the door locking it. Looking at Jinki again, the man put his gun on his waistband and pushed the bedside table underneath the doorknob, creating a barrier between them and anyone who attempted to open it.

The man turned back towards Jinki and cocked his head to the side.

He began to walk towards the brunette holding the pistol in his left hand once again.

"This isn't the situation I wanted for us," the man sighed, "I didn't think you would actually return to this fuck."

Holding the gun back up to Jinki's face the man let it press against the man's temple, the cold metal causing his heart to pound heavily against his chest. The masked man let the gun slide against Jinki's face as he shut his eyes tightly expecting the worst.

Jinki didn't open his eyes until the weapon was removed from his face and the masked man stared at him once again.

Taking a long sigh, Jinki began screaming, "Minho! Jonghyun!" Until the man shoved his hand over his mouth, the gun aimed directly at his left temple. It was silent for a moment, neither saying anything. The man slowly removed his hand from Jinki's mouth and stared at him as if contemplating what to do. Unexpectedly, the man raised the silver gun above his head, bashing the solid metal weapon straight into Jinki's skull. The brunette male screamed loudly, clutching his head with both hands and shrinking away from the attacker.

"I told you to shut up and look what you've done." The man sighed, looking at the door as it began to rattle. Jinki could clearly hear Jonghyun's voice through the door. His commanding voices booming through the solid wood demanding the door be opened.

"We didn’t even get to have any fun together Jinki," the masked male said itching the pistol against his neck. "It's been so long since we've seen each other too."

"Jinki, what’s going on in there!" Jonghyun's voiced screamed through the door. From the way the wood shook against the frame he could tell the man was slamming his entire body into the door. It was a hasty attempt to break it down.

The masked man aimed his gun towards the door. Thinking quickly, Jinki sprang to his feet and pushed his entire body against the man shoving them both to the ground. The bullet missed Jinki's face and hit the pumpkin congee that had been left the night before. The glass shattered loudly and pumpkin pieces sprayed the wall. The sound caused Jinki to scream loudly.

"Why can’t you shut the fuck up," the man said, attempting to push the brunette off of his body. He tried shoving Jinki's face into the floor, but the male was strong enough to push himself away from the attacker. Reaching for the pistol he was elbowed in the face by the man. The brunette didn’t realize his nose was bleeding until warm drops began landing on his chin.

"What do you want from me!" Jinki screamed, quickly crawling backwards hoping to put distance between themselves. "What the fuck do you want?"

The man sat on the floor, his hand resting on the pistol that lay on the floor next to him.

"For Minho to suffer."

Raising the gun, the man lifted the metal weapon aiming it at Jinki's face for the third time. The attacker began to raise his free right hand to the bottom lip of the mask, lifting the white piece from his face.

"I want to see you perfectly when I kill you," he said, "See your face when you know exactly who I am."

He didn't lift the mask more than an inch away from his face when a bullet shot through his left eye, blood splattering on Jinki's face. The taste of metal fresh on his tongue. He hadn't realized his mouth had been open. The attackers body slumped forward and lay no more than a foot away from Jinki. Blood pooled slowly from the wound on his face, the back of the man's head blasted off from the bullet. Brain matter painted the floor and door in a pinkish hue. Distinct chunks of substance littered the room in front of the brunette man.

"Are you okay Jinki."

It was Kyungsoo who shot the bullet having entered through his bathroom. He would later find out about a door hidden beneath the sink cabinet. A precaution put in place for quick evacutation.

"Let's get him out of here," Jongin entered behind Kyungsoo, an MP5K in his hand. The tan male jogged to the bed and used the blanket to cover the man's body quickly. Tossing his gun on the bed, he turned towards Kyungsoo who threw his M9 Beretta with a suppressor to Jongin. The man caught it and placed the weapon next to his.

Kyungsoo placed his left arm around Jinki, leading the man out of the room. The attackers blood still dripping down his face.

-

It had been over two months since the attack. He had seen Minho less often than before, the man flooded with work. He can't even remember the last time he even spoke to the man.

Minho had been furious when he had come back to the estate. During the attack, he had been away for unknown business. He had immediately returned when he had gotten word of what had happened. The man's excuse for shoving his entire soul into work had been to prevent anything of the matter happening again.

No one knows how the masked man had entered the estate other than a small hole beneath the cast-iron fence surrounding the estate. Security cameras had been replaced and Minho put more men around the building to boost safety.

Jinki felt like he was in a cage suffocating.

Jonghyun and Kibum began talking to him again, apologizing for ignoring him. The two men explained they didn't want Jinki to be involved with their life of criminal activity in case they were ever caught by the government. Jonghyun had told him he didn’t think Minho would ever go through with bringing him to his home. He also apologized for being unable to protect him that day at the coffee shop, telling him how well Junmyeon was doing and how much he missed him.

Over the months he began getting closer to Kyungsoo and Jongin. When Jonghyun and Kibum were off doing something for Minho, he would spend his time in the kitchen with the two men creating new recipes. Because he saw Minho less, he would often eat with the two men for all of his meals if he wasn't with Jonghyun and Kibum.

"Why hasn’t Minho been around lately?" Jinki asked one night. He had been eating in his room with Jonghyun when he had blurted out the question.

Jonghyun looked up from his bowl of Yukgaejang with a questioning look.

"What do you mean where's Minho? He's in his office like always," the man responded digging his spoon in the wooden bowl.

"Yeah, I know he's in his office, but I want to know why he hasn't been around," Jinki sighed looking at Jonghyun. He could tell the man didn’t have a clue what he was talking about or was just playing dumb.

"I've been here for months Jonghyun. I haven't left this house other than to go outside. Minho has spent less time with me as the days go by. No one even told me who the man who tried to kill me was?" Jinki began to shout, "I mean, I feel like fucking Rapunzel looked in a tower. I missed Minho, but I want to leave. There's nothing for me here!"

"Okay, okay. Let's calm down," Jonghyun said setting his spoon back in his bowl, "Minho has been busy because of who exactly was the man who attempted to assassinate you. Apparently, we had a mole in our organization and we had to remove a few other rats. He's been busy trying to ensure you're safe. The men who killed both of your families haven't been found, last time Minho said something about them being in Sweden. He wanted to make sure they weren't behind it. Unfortunately, he was still unsure the last time I heard."

"Well who did it," Jinki asked annoyed.

Jonghyun turned his head to the side, confused, "Did what?"

Taking a deep breathe, Jinki replied, "Who attempted to assassinate me, Jonghyun."

The pink haired man itched his head awkwardly and looked around the room.

"I don't think I'm supposed to tell you," Jonghyun whispered.

Wrinkling his nose, Jinki spoke softly, "Just whisper it in my ear idiot."

The two men looked at each other for a moment. Jinki could tell the other male was contemplating whether or not to tell the man. Sighing once again, Jonghyun said, "You can’t tell anyone I told you," he said, "I mean no one, I can get in a lot of trouble because no one knows expect Minho and I. He didn't want anyone thinking the organization isn't stable."

Jinki nodded," I won't tell a soul."

Jonghyun paused for a moment again, Jinki heard the word "fuck" slip from his lips.

Scooting closer to Jinki, the pink haired man whispered, "Taemin and Joon."

-

Jinki had been standing outside of Minho's door for over fifteen minutes now. He had been debating if he should go in Minho's office or to walk away. On one hand he didn't want to bother the elder. On the other, he was longing for the man desperately. He hadn't seen the man in over a month now. It was getting ridiculous at this point. Minho brought him away from his life, about to graduate university, and locked him up in his mansion to do nothing but prance around a garden and library. He was tired of waiting for the elder to finally come out of hiding, finally eat dinner with him. This wasn't what Jinki had expected when Minho appeared again. Excuses from Jonghyun about how busy the other man had been had gotten repetitive and old.

Sometimes, Jinki would pass the elders office hoping to catch a glimpse of the other man even for a brief moment. Though, the office door remained shut. Either the men entering had been quick to close the door, or no one had gone in the office the entire day.

Taking a long breathe, Jinki raised his hand to the doorknob and opened the door. Jinki's second foot hadn't even passed the door frame before a gun was against his head.

"Lower your gun," Minho's voice spoke in a harsh tone, "I will speak to you tomorrow, you are excused."

The man with orange hair put his gun back in its holster and exited the office quickly shutting the door behind him.

Jinki hadn't realized he had never entered Minho's office until today. For as long as he had been in the house, he had never actually set foot into the enormous space. It looked like any other office, a large oak desk in the center with two windows framing the outer corners. The desk itself was littered with stacks of papers with a MacBook off to the side. The floor was marble with a maroon rug dead set in the middle of the room, complimenting the black leather couch that had white pillows perched neatly on the left side. The room had bookshelves on both sides of the windows filled to the brim with numerous novels. Other than that, the room was bare. There wasn't anything that screamed 'Minho' in the space. It seemed too calculated and organized. Nothing like the Minho he grew up with, the man he thought he knew.

Scanning back to the desk is when Jinki finally got a good look at Minho. The man's eyes looked sunken in, a dark shadow casting beneath them. He looked a lot older than the last time he saw the man, it caused Jinki's heart to ache. It hadn't even been a month and the elder man looked exhausted. As if he hadn't had a proper night's sleep in years. The last dinner the two men shared was a bit before the attack, Minho was excited for Jinki to try all of his favorite things Jongin and Kyungsoo made for him. However, the man never got around to it, their usual dinner dates turned into short breaks together, then nothing. As if the man no longer wanted him there. The thought caused Jinki's stomach to twist. He wouldn't know what to do if Minho kicked him out. At this point, there's no way he hadn't already been evicted from his apartment.

"What can I do for you Jinki, "Minho's voice startled the younger man, causing him to jump at the sudden question.

Jinki looked Minho in the eyes as he spoke," I... I don't know what to do," fidgeting with his shirt he began again, "I'm here, waiting for you every day. You don't talk to me, you don’t make time for me, hell, I don’t even see you!" The man cried, "You even stopped eating with me! I understand you're busy, but I'm here because you brought me here. You took me away from my life and locked me up here to do what exactly? Rot away? I'm tired of hearing Jonghyun come up with excuses on why I never see you anymore. It's been fucking months since we’ve properly talked! And that was when I came here! What's even the point of me being here Minho! Are you waiting for me to leave? Is that what you want," Jinki wiped away the tears from his eyes with the sleeve of his sweater, "I didn't think this would be our situation right now when you sat me in that garden all those months ago. My heart hurts Minho. I'm so in love with you, but I can't even tell what you feel. You lock yourself away in this room and I know nothing!"

Jinki's chest was heaving, his tears falling from his eyes heavily. His breathing labored as he tried to catch his breathe. He didn’t expect to blurt out everything so suddenly, it shocked him.

The two men looked at each other, Minho's eyes unreadable. The younger man opened his mouth to speak again when Minho cut him off.

"It's was for your safety Jinki."

Scoffing, Jinki wiped another stray tear, "I can take care of myself!"

The sound of Minho's chair scrapping across the floor startled the younger man. Minho stood up with force, placing his palms on his desk before walking swiftly to stand in front of Jinki.

Jinki backed away slowly from the angered man until he felt the wall hit his back. The taller man looked down on Jinki, frustration evident on his face. It was then that Jinki could see how truly tired the man looked. From far away it was apparent, but up close the younger man could see the exhaustion that had taken over Minho's entire appearance. The man's hair was disheveled, as if he hadn't washed it in a while. The suit that hugged his body had wrinkled around the collar and a small stain could be seen underneath the brown tie. Probably coffee.

Minho and Jinki looked at each other before the elder man closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against the shorter man.

Jinki could feel the mans breathe against his lips which smelt of stale coffee and cigarettes. The younger man didn't say anything when he felt the other man's tears fall upon his cheeks, too caught up basking in the others presence.

"I.." Minho began to speak, his voice cracking, "I knew they were coming after you Jinki. It's my fault."

Jinki opened his mouth to interrupt, getting cut off before getting a chance to deny Minho's confession.

"It is my fault Jinki," he began again, "They sent me photos of you sleeping, in the library, sitting in the garden, at work. I couldn't figure out how they were doing it. These men..." He said angrily. Minho opened his eyes to look into Jinki's as he spoke, " I trusted these men with our lives and they betrayed me! All to sabotage some Chinese deal I had planned."

Minho paused again, searching for understanding in Jinki's eyes, "I love you, but I needed to protect you. I wanted to gain your trust but all I did was create further doubts in your head. I've been here day and night tracking the men who killed our parents because I thought they were behind your attempted assassination. It was a dead end Jinki! There wasn't any correlation!" Minho laughed. "They both had their own reasons to harm us, but it wasn't the men I've been after. But when that man got through security I knew I needed to spend more time on it. Spend more time assuring our future together was safe." Minho grabbed Jinki's hands, intertwining them together. "I wanted you to live a quiet life here Jinki. Please understand, there's nothing more I wanted to do than go into your room and be with you, eat with you, watch those shitty movies you love so much. But, I knew this was something that needed to be done first. I've been slowly stepping away from the dangerous areas of this game. It's been a long process Jinki, and I'm not nearly finished. Please give me more time. I want to keep you safe. I want..."

Jinki pushed up on the tip of his toes, crashing his lips upon Minho's. They were chapped and the taste of nicotine wasn't exactly mint, but it was perfect either way. Minho placed his left hand against Jinki's cheek, pushing the two men further into each other deepening the kiss. The younger man gasped as the older man grabbed his ass with his right hand, pressing their groins against each other. Tiny huffs escaped Minho's mouth as he licked into Jinki's mouth, their tongues sliding against each other.

A tiny moan escaped Jinki's lips when Minho grabbed the younger man by his ass and shoved him onto the couch. Minho threw off his suit jacket, tossing it on the floor as he reattached his lips onto Jinki's. Rolling his hips onto the younger man's, Minho groaned against Jinki's mouth causing the man to open his eyes in surprise. A tiny gasp leaving his mouth. Biting his lip, Jinki began hastily unbuttoning Minho's shirt as the older man worked on his neck, love bites painted across his tan skin.

Working the shirt off, Jinki tossed the material, grabbing for the man's pants next until the older male stopped his hand.

Catching his breath, Minho asked, "Are you sure about this love?"

Jinki responded by flipping the other male to be underneath him and pulling off his pants. They were a lot easier to remove than Jinki had anticipated.

The younger man brought his face along the outline of Minho's cock that was straining against the cotton boxers. Jinki could see how large it had gotten over the years. The man pressed his nose against the top of the boxers and rubbed against the man's cock, inhaling the musky scent. Jinki took his time relishing himself in the musk that surronded Minho's groin. Opening his eyes the younger male could see the wet spot of cum at the tip of Minho's cock, growing bigger as Jinki rubbed his hand against the base, getting a feeling of how it pulsed beneath his fingers.

"Sto.." Minho stuttered, "Sto..stop teasing." The man was huffing, his chest rising quickly as he looked at Jinki play with him.

Jinki smiled pulling down the man's boxers as Minho lifted his ass to help rid his body of the last piece of clothing.

Taking the cock into his hand, Jinki began to give the tip tiny kitten licks as he gathered a general taste of it, the strong taste of cum and piss invading his tongue. At the base of Minho's cock was a bush of pubic hair, looking as if the man hadn’t managed the growth in a while. Jinki ran his tongue along the veins that protruded along the male's cock, loving the way they felt as he ran his tongue from the base to the tip, twirling his tongue as he covered the entire penis in his saliva. When the shorter male heard the man below him shudder, he put the tip of the other man's penis into his mouth. He swirled his tongue along the cockhead mixing his saliva with the precum that released ever shudder that Minho made.

Minho grabbed the other man's long hair, trying to pull the other off, but the action only caused Jinki to swallow the rest of the man's cock into his mouth. The younger man gagged, pulling back his head to recover from the sting the man's cock made as it hit the back of his throat.

Minho moaned out Jinki's name loudly into the room. The only sounds made were the slurps of Jinki pushing his mouth back and forth with Minho in his mouth and the taller man's loud groans into the room. If anyone were to pass, Jinki doesn’t doubt they wouldn't be able to hear what was occuring in the room.

Jinki pulled off Minho with a loud pop, and began pushing his tongue into the slit of the head as his hand moved up and down on the base. Without warning, Minho's entire body shuddered and the man came into Jinki's mouth. The younger man pulled back, letting the man come onto his face.

"I'm sorry!" Minho shouted, pushing himself up from the couch. "I haven't been intimate since the last time we were together."

The older man had a cherry blush upon his cheeks, eyes darting around the room, grabbing his shirt that was tossed earlier. The older man began wiping away his cum from Jinki's face until Jinki finally pushed his hand away when he felt the man had done a good enough job.

Giggling, Jinki crawled over to the man and rested his body against the others chest. When the older man wrapped his arms around the other replied, "Don't be embarrassed," his voice below a whisper, "Well just have to work on your stamina."

The arms around Jinki tightened and the two men laid together, enjoying the others company. They didn't speak, right now, this was enough.


End file.
